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Expert Knowledge on Digitalization & Automation of Business Processes

xSuite Blog

Expert Knowledge on Digitalization & Automation of Business Processes

S/4HANA in the Cloud: Comparison of Deployment Models

Topic: SAP | S/4HANA | Cloud

 

Updated April 12, 2023

SAP S/4HANA can be deployed in numerous ways, both in-cloud and on-prem. In a earlier blog article, we gave you an overview of SAP's product offerings for S/4HANA cloud models. Here we're taking a broader look at the field by addressing on-premises options as well. This article is intended to provide a clear run-down of scenarios for different deployment options using xSuite solutions.

Cloud, Level 0: A locally installed system

In this scenario, the SAP S/4HANA system is installed at your own data center. This is the classic on-premises model generally used for SAP ERP systems.

For this model, our SAP-integrated workflows (Procurement, Order Confirmation, Invoice, Orders) can be used. So can upstream and downstream services such as document extraction and archiving (locally installed or from the cloud), as well as services on the SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) such as our Business Partner Portal.

Cloud, Level 1: Hosting at an external data center

In this scenario, your SAP S/4HANA system runs in the data center of an external provider. This may be a local host or an industry-specific host, or one of the typical hyperscalers such as Azure, AWS, or Google. This approach has come into wide use in SAP ERP systems and is a typical example of Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS). SAP equates this operating model with a local installation, and, from a technical perspective, our solutions do the same.

Therefore, all our SAP-integrated workflows (Procurement, Order Confirmation, Delivery Notes, Invoice, Orders), upstream and downstream services such as document extraction and archiving (locally installed or from the cloud), and services on the SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) such as our Business Partner Portal can also be used for this scenario.

Cloud, Level 2: Hosting in SAP HEC

The SAP S/4HANA system runs in the SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud (HEC). This deployment model is similar to the scenario described for Level 1: Your system runs in a data center in a private cloud managed by SAP. Here too, the model you are using is IaaS. (You can learn more about the IaaS, PaaS and SaaS models in our blog article Public, Private, Hybrid: The Little Cloud ABC.)

For the SAP S/4HANA system in HEC, you can use our SAP-integrated workflows (Procurement, Order Confirmation, Delivery Notes, Invoice, and Orders), provided a compatibility check has been performed by SAP. You can also use upstream and downstream services such as document extraction and archiving (installed locally or from the cloud) and our offerings on the SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) such as the Business Partner Portal.

Cloud, Level 3: The S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition

The SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition is an offering that SAP introduced in 2021 in the course of the launch of RISE with SAP. Though SAP provides this S/4HANA system ready-made in the S/4HANA Cloud, customers have to perform future updates themselves. This twist basically makes the S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition a modified Software-as-a-Serivce (SaaS) model. The same scope of functions is available as for an on-premises installed S/4HANA system, making the usual xSuite functions available as well.

For this scenario, therefore, you can use our SAP-integrated workflows (Procurement, Order Confirmation, Delivery Notes, Invoice, Orders), upstream and downstream services such as document extraction and archiving (installed locally or from the cloud), and services on the SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) such as our Business Partner Portal.

Cloud, Level 3a: The S/4HANA Cloud Extended Edition

Note: This option is no longer actively offered by SAP since the introduction of GROW with SAP in March 2023. The Private Edition is the preferred alternative for existing customers switching to SAP S/4HANA, while the SAP S/4HANA Public Edition is recommended in particular for midsize companies and new customers.

The SAP S/4HANA Cloud Extended Edition was previously called Private Cloud and Single Tenant Edition (STE). In the S/4HANA Cloud Extended Edition, SAP provides you with a ready-made S/4HANA system in the S/4HANA Cloud and performs future updates, in consultation with you. The functional scope of the S/4HANA Cloud Extended Edition corresponds to that of a locally installed S/4HANA system, and some customizing can be performed; however, modifications cannot be made to the system. Also, you cannot necessarily connect add-ons, as certification of the add-on is required specifically for S/4HANA Cloud Extended Edition.

As xSuite has earned the required certification, our SAP-integrated workflows (Procurement, Order Confirmation, Delivery Notes, Invoice, Orders) can support you in an S/4HANA Cloud Extended Edition deployment. Upstream and downstream services such as document extraction and archiving (locally installed or from the cloud) as well as services on the SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) such as our Business Partner Portal can also be used. To see which SAP certifications our solutions currently have, see here.

Cloud, Level 4: The S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition

The S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition was previously referred to as the Public Cloud, the Multi Tenant Edition (MTE), and the S/4HANA Cloud Essential Edition. In this model, SAP provides a ready-made S/4HANA system in the S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition. It serves a large number of customers, each of whom only has access to one assigned client of the system. The S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition is therefore a typical SaaS offering. SAP takes care of all future updates for you. The range of functions is more limited than that of an on-premises installed system. Add-ons cannot be installed.

With SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition, you can use our services on the SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) like our Business Partner Portal or our Invoice workflow. We have already begun developing offerings for upstream and downstream workflow tasks such as document extraction and archiving as automated solutions connecting with S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition.

A good overview of the models is also provided in this blog article from SAP, which is updated regularly: https://blogs.sap.com/2019/08/22/sap-s4hana-cloud-and-on-premise-deployment-options/

Are you looking for further information?

Please don't hesitate to contact us! Based on where you are located, you can find the respective contact details here: xSuite Global Headquarters in Germany, xSuite Nordics, xSuite Benelux, xSuite North America, xSuite Asia Pacific, xSuite CEE or xSuite Iberia.

Author

avatar

Jan

Jan Schulze is Head of Product Management at xSuite Group. As a graduate of business informatics, he is an expert in business and IT topics and thus optimally combines the relevant expertise. As a passionate field hockey player, he is a true team player and is always fully committed to what he does.

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